Tank gauge



Patenfed Mar. 22, 1938 f/fy i11ventfon felates genefally to IneanS fori1 dioatfng ond Tneosuring the odITfollnt of fiquid in o Contoinef, andpartioulorly to a gauge for the tank ooInpaftIffontE of hydfocofbonf11eldeliveTy tanks a nd the like, and ao iInportant objeot of Inyinvenfion is to p1,ovide aTrangelT1ents of thiS chafactefWhioh ofoinexpeosive and pfc ticaL ovnd vvI1ich gfeatly fooflitate the oporatfonSof filling and en^1 tying the tanks of Ineasured aInoonts of liq11id.

Another iInportant objeot of 1yinvention is to provide a stfuotofalfnoonting foI' a f1oat operoted iqL1id fank gauge Whioh inSulates thegauge frofn tfie effects of Sfatio eleotrioity, eliI11- l inateSoestruction and distortio1due tovibra tion, and greatly faoflitofeSfheiIiStavllation of the SaToo fn eXisfing ooropartTnents of tanks offheohafotef aHuded to above.

(fheT iInpoftant objeots of Iny fnvention wi11 be. oppofent ffon areading of tfle fo11oWing de soription faken in oonneotfo1oth the dravvings, herein foT pufposeS of iHuStfation have shoWn a prefefreden1bodiInenf of Iny invention.

n the ofWings: z z Rfgure iS a genef1 side elevational view of aoe1ivefy tank truck ShoWing gauges in aooord ance With the present invention applied theTeto. Ffgufe 2 is an enlarged ffanSverSe vertioal Seotion vfevv taken through one of the tonk ooIn paftInentS ondillusfrating the inStallation of a gauge therein in aooofdanoe with thepresent invention.

igure 3 is a horizonta1 seotional vieW taken through fgure 2approxin1ately on the 1ine 33. Figure 4 is a vertical tranSvefseSeotiona1 vieW taken thfough the uppef part of the stationary poroion-of the gat1ge and the gauge rod and showing the Tetaining cap in plaoe.

Figufe 5 is a tranSverSe veftica1 Sectional vieW taken thTough the 1OWefend of the n1ovable guge Tod and Showing the fioat Inountings thereon.

Beferring in detai1 to the drawingS, the no- Inefa1 5 genefally designates an autoInobile truck tak Suoh as iS uSed for the tranSpoftationand delivery of hydfooarbon 1iquid, and other liquid, the said tankhaving sepafated oompartn entS 7, and 3 each proided with a done sllohas the doIne 8, o1osed by a sofevv cover s Whioh is provided vvithhandles lur The oovef is thfeaded into a threaded oollar in the top ofthe dofne. n aooofdanoe With thepfeSent, invention fasten by suitablebolts l2 to one side of the doIne 8 a bfaokef 3 vvhfoh exfendShofizontany avvay ffoIn the side of the don1e and this fofacket haS anopening reoeiving s1idably the upper part A ENT oFE of the gauge fodguide tube l5. Iinged as indioated by tho nuTnefa1- to one side of thetop of the portion is a olosure cap T Which has a spfing Iatoh fsengageable vvith a doteht 5 l9 on the oppoSite Side of the portion f tokeep the cap if1 a closed position. The oap oan be opened to thepoSftion i1111Sfrated in igufe 2 froln the olosed posftion inustrated inFiguro to pern1it the gauge Tod Which is generany 10 deSig1ated 2 toffse through the portion !4 of the guide tubo 5, T1e guide tobe 5 hasslotS 2! in ftS opposite sid.es Whioh extend through the lower endthereof whioh is threadeo as in dioated by the nun1erol 22 and sofeWedinto a 1 cup 23 Which haS veftioa1 slots 2 oonforn1ing to andfegiStering With the Slots zf. The inSide of the lower end of the tubef5 fo tapefed aJS indicated by the nuIneral 2and a conforn1ably shapedtruncafed oonioo1 blook or p1ug 2 iS SeateC1in tllis reduoed portion andin a reoeSS 2T in the top of the bottom of the cup.

A ScreW 23 iS threaded info the plug 26 fron1 the botto1T1 thereof andthiS sorew paSses throngh an aSbestos plate 29 and thTough a nleta1plate 30 to aSSeInb1e these wfth the oup 23 on the loWer end of the tubef5. TTle asbeStos blook 29 reSts on the bottoIn 3| of the tankooInpartInent f to pfevent the tfanSInisSion of Statio eleotrfoity fromthe botton1 of the tank to the tube ond to the ga11ge rod 2n and also toprovide a suf cienf1y flexible Inounting fo pern1it expanSion andoontraotion of the struotore as the fesult of tefnperature ohanges; andto pfovide a suf fioiently Shook-absorbing Inounting of the gauge topfevent deStruotive actioI1 on the gauge as a reSult of vibrafion of thetruok in its travels.

The gaoge rod 2o is of an o11tside diaIneter to s1i(1emooth1y in theguide tHbe portion M and in the fenlainder of the tube and it haS a,blook 0 32 sec11red in its 11pper end and olosing the upper end andaffoTding suppoft against coHapse of the gauge fod, the gauge rod beingin the forIn of a tube and having anothef blook 33 fatened in its 1ovve'end and tfaversed by a squared baf 3 vVhioh has ftS oppoSite endSextending be yond the sideS of the gauge rod and pTovided With thfeadedand reduoed portions 35 and. 36.

ndividua1 floats 37 and 38 aJTe sirnilar in fo1 In and may be in theform of ho11oW Spheres, o 5 other ho llow forn1S and aot to Inove thegauge md upWofdly away ffom the bottoIn of the tank oon1paftn1enfacoording to the aInount of liquid in the coInpart1T1ent.

ooh fioat ooIT1pfises the ho11ow n1oInbef and al bfacket 33, 40,fespectively, vV1ich haS a U-shaped pofon 42 the bight poftion of Wch istfavefSed by the fespective thfeaded fednoed pof tions and 33 on the1OWef end of the gauge fod. These noats 3T and 38 are secufely 1nonntedin place on the gange fod by n1eans of n11ts 43 and of1 the feducedpoftions 35 and 33. The squafed end poftionS of the bar 3 s1ideso1oothly in the S10ts 2, of the guide tnbe l5.

l1e opening 45 in the bfacket |3 fS Suicient1y lafge to pefnit the guidetube poftion l4 to nove npWafdly and downwafdly felative to the bfackefl3 in fesponSe to vibfation of the tfllck -and in fesponse to expanSionand contraction d11e to ten1pefatufe changeS, and intefposed betWeen thebottoIn of the bfacket !3 and a collaf 46 theaded as illdicabed by thenun1era1 47 on the lowef paft of the poftion ra. helical1 spfingdeSignated 48 aots to kee the guide tube l5 fle dbly dOWn in place andto absofb shocks im pafted by vibfation to the guide tube l5. t isobviouS that the asbest os of othef con1pfessible insulating Inabefialblock 29 and the spfing 43 cooperarte to protect the apparatus againstthe effects of expanSion and contraction as vve11 as the destfuctiveeffects of vibfation The gauge fod 20 iS pfovided vith gfaduationsfofmed on the extefiof thefeof in visible chaf actefS, and thesegraduationS afe appHed to the rod by any suitable IIeans of calibfationand fead ffoI top to bottoIn. ig111-e 2 of the dfavvings Shows by theposition of the f'od and the 30 gallon gra uation at the top of theguide tube l5 that ga11ons have been fen1oved ffoIn the tank coInaftnent f and that 30 gallonS fenlain thefein, this figufe shooong theinvention in 11Se on a gallon tank.

f1thoI1gh have Shovvn and deScfibed herein a pfeferfed en1bodinlent ofIIly invention, it is to be deflnitely undefstood that I do not desireto liInit the app1ication of the invention thereto, and any change orchanges Inay be Inade in the fI1ate fialS and in the Stfuct11fe andarfangefnent of the parts, vvitflin the spifit of the invention and thescope of the subjoined claiIns. In this connection it iS Specificallypointed o11t that the invention is equally opplicable vrithoTftinvention to types of dofnes and oovefs thefefof, othef than thosedesofibed and shown hefein.

vvhat iS clainled iS= 1. A tank gauge of the class desofibed oompfis inga veffically affanged tubulaf m eInbef having longit11dinally extendiflgdiaII1etfioally a1'fanged S1()tS thefein, a bfacket adapted to beconnected to a top part of the tank and having an opening thefeinthfough vohich the upper end of tubular Inelnber passes, a pfojection onthe llpper paft of the Inen1ber, a spring seated on the pfojeotion andengaging a paft of the bfacket fof yieldingly pfeventing upvvardn10venlent of the Inefnbef, al base oonnected With the lower end of thetubular Inenlbef and including a b1ock of coInpfeSsible andnonconduoting Inateria1 fof engaging the botton1 of the tank, a noat fodSlidably arfanged in the tubulaf nleInbef and having pfojeotions a,t its1owef end paSSing through the S1ots and a float oonnected to eachprojection.

2. In oon1bination With a talnk having al cap feceivfng opening in itstop, a bfacket connected with a part of the tank under the opemng andextending paftly acfosS the opening, Said bfacket having an openingthefein, a tubulaf IneInbef having its uppef end pasing through theOpening in the bfacket, a baSe fnen1ber connected vrith the lower end ofthe tubulaT Inen1ber and including a block of conlpfessible andnonconducting Inatefia1 engaging the bottom of the tank, yleldablenleanS engaging a paft of the tubular fnefnber and the bfaoket forholding the block against the bottom of the tank, a gfaduafed fods1idab1y affanged in the t11bulaf Inenlbef, floaJt IneanS oon nectedWith the rod and a hinged cap connected With the uppef end of thetubular fneInber and pfovided orith latch n1eans fof holding it in poSition cfosing the upper end of the tubular IneInber to hold the fodentifely within said tubulaf m en1- bef.

GERBIT A. vAN DE LoN,

